Crowley's Revenge
by V001
Summary: When Crowley seeks revenge on Sam for what happened during the last trial, will Sam be able to survive? Set after season 8. Lots of hurt/limp/hallucinating Sam! Angsty/heroic/worried Dean!
1. Chapter 1

Sam wished for death.

He was sitting on the filthy cell floor, slumped against the corner of the wall. It was freezing and wearing only his jeans, Sam shivered violently against the bite of the cold.

Crowley was skilled at torturing and Sam felt the closest to being back in hell than he ever thought possible. Demons periodically dragged him from the cell and took him to a torture room. There he was whipped mercilessly- his back was shrouded in deep bloody gorges, the burning pain consistent and devastating. The demons also did every other torture they could think of, like beating Sam until most of his ribs were broken and waterboarding him, just to name a few.

But far worse than all of the physical torture was the horrible potion Crowley forced on him. He remembered the first dose. He had just gotten whipped by the demon guards for the first time and when they were done, they held him firmly as Crowley emerged.

"Crowley..." Sam muttered, still winded from the whipping. He struggled against the demons holding him but their grips remained unyielding.

"You really thought," Crowley growled as he approached Sam, "You could do what you did to me and get away with it? I am the King of Hell!" Crowley roared in fury as he moved inches away from Sam's face.

"You had it coming," Sam said defiantly, but his voice didn't come out as confidently as he had hoped. The burning pain from the whipping was making his head spin and it was hard to concentrate.

Crowley chuckled and smiled sinisterly as he pulled out a syringe from his jacket. "And you have this coming, Moose." Crowley cocked his head and considered the syringe for a moment.

"What is that?" Sam snapped. He felt his heart start to race. This couldn't be good.

"I'm going to make you pay, Moose. I am going to make you pay for what you did to me." Without warning, Crowley roughly yanked Sam's head to the side and stabbed the syringe into his neck. Sam let out a small cry and immediately felt the liquid burning through his veins as Crowley emptied the syringe.

"It's a special potion I made. Causes horrible hallucinations and confusion so I'm told. Leads to insanity eventually." Crowley withdrew the now empty syringe and smiled. "Enjoy it. More to come later."

Crowley turned to leave but then stopped, his expression one of deep satisfaction as Sam's eyes started to glaze over and his body sagged against the guards. "I'll be sure to stop by and watch the show. I wouldn't want to miss this."

* * *

Sam shivered at the memory and tried to get his rapid breathing under control. Randomly, the demons would stop by and shoot him with another dose. Moments after, he would start having horrible visions and hallucinations- worse than when Lucifer broke his grapefruit, worse than when he was withdrawing from demon blood. The hallucinations and visions had no limits and encompassed everything from Lucifer to the Yellowed-Eye demon to Jess, and of course Dean. Dean, who would stop by Sam's cell and explain to Sam how he was a worthless brother. As time passed, Sam couldn't be sure if it was the real Dean or not. It certainly felt real…

Sam's mind was an incoherent mess. He had no idea how long he had been Crowley's prisoner-weeks...months? He couldn't remember how he got there or why he was there. He couldn't figure out if the trials and the falling of the angels were real or a long drawn out hallucination. Sam could feel himself losing his mind and it was the worse torture he could imagine.

He moved slowly over to a pail of water left for his drinking water. The movement sent his injuries on fire, and he groaned in pain. He was about to cup his hands and try to sip some water, he felt so thirsty, but when he looked in the pail he saw blood, demon blood. He could even _smell_ the bitter scent of the blood if that was possible. He moved away from the pail, mortified. He moved to the corner of the cell and closed his eyes.

It seemed as soon as he closed his eyes, his cell door opened and Crowley emerged followed by two demons. Crowley was holding a full syringe in his hand.

"No..." Sam begged, trying to back away from the approaching demons but having nowhere to go. The thought of getting shot with another dose made Sam shake uncontrollably with fear. "No, don't!" Sam pleaded as the demons grabbed him on either side and pulled him up to his feet. He tried to fight against them but he was so weak that the demons effortlessly held him in place as Crowley approached.

"My, oh my. Haven't you changed, Moose? A couple weeks ago you were a strong hunter and now..."

"No, don't! Don't!" Sam begged uselessly as Crowley grabbed Sam's face.

"Now you are nothing. And so scared." Crowley smiled and moved inches from Sam's face. "Now you know how I felt." Crowley roughly stabbed the syringe in Sam's neck.

Sam cried out as the syringe was emptied into his vein and dropped to the ground when the guards released him. "What do you see this time, Moose?"

Sam's attention was too distracted by the now present Lucifer who popped up in the corner of his cell. "Hello, bunk buddy. You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you?" Lucifer laughed, a booming demonic laugh that echoed painfully in Sam's head. Sam pressed his hands against his ears to block out the sound.

He looked desperately up at Crowley. "Please..." Sam pleaded, looking back over at Lucifer and then back at Crowley. "You can't leave me with him. He can't be here..." Sam felt his chest constrict from panic, he couldn't stand to be alone with Lucifer again. "How is he here...he can't...this can't..." Crowley wore a smug sense of satisfaction as he looked down at Sam.

"I should have brought popcorn," Crowley laughed, watching Sam with amusement. Sam suddenly heard a scream in the distance, a scream that sounded so familiar.

"What..." Sam shook his head, it couldn't be.

Lucifer spoke up. "Wow, that sounded like your mom didn't it? You think he has your mom here? I like this guy."

"No...no" Sam shook his head. She was dead, wasn't she? How could Crowley have her? "Please...Crowley...don't hurt her...I don't understand..." Sam looked desperately at Crowley who just laughed happily. He bent down to Sam, who was now huddled in the corner and once again grabbed his chin and tilted it up to his face. He studied Sam's eyes and smiled.

"This potion is working far better than I thought it would. You're not even making sense anymore." Crowley made a mock expression of sympathy and then grinned widely. "Enjoy."

And with that Crowley left Sam alone with his hallucinations.

* * *

Dean crept stealthy through Crowley's underground prison. It took a month to find this place. It was a month since Crowley's demons had ambushed Sam on a food run. They were doing fallen angel research - What on earth were they going to do about all the earthbound angels? - when Sam went to grab some food and didn't return. First Dean had to find out who took his brother and then he had to find where Crowley took him. The place was well hidden; Crowley went to great lengths to make sure Dean couldn't find it. On the outside it appeared to be an abandoned warehouse but on the inside Dean found maybe a hundred demons doing god-knows- what. After capturing a lone demon and torturing him, Dean learned about the underground prison and a sewage passage that could lead him there while avoiding all the demons at the main entrance. A month later here he was, and in that month Dean was tormented, wondering if his brother was still alive as Dean worked endlessly to find answers.

"Are you sure about this?" Kevin had asked before Dean left to make the journey underground. Dean normally wouldn't bring an innocent into a mess like this but he wanted the car running in case he would have to make a speedy getaway. Or incase he didn't come back and then at least Kevin would know what had happened to them.

Dean continued to walk carefully down the narrow corridors, hugging the shadows and staying under the radar of both the demon guards and other prisoners. He was just beginning to get frustrated with the prison, the cells winded like a maze, when he heard Crowley's voice drift from several cells down. He crept closer and listened.

"I should have brought popcorn," He heard Crowley laugh. What Dean heard next froze him with panic and dread- Sam's voice, pleading, weak and scared, so scared. Dean felt his blood run cold.

"This potion is working far better than I thought it would. You're not even making sense anymore. Enjoy." Crowley finished and left with his demon body guards, locking the cell door behind them.

Dean waited until the demons were a safe distance away and then rushed over to his brother's cell.

"Sammy…" Dean whispered in disbelief when he approached the cell. Sam was slouched in the corner of the cell _covered _with blood and dirt. He had trouble making out any more details the darkness. But he could hear Sam muttering to himself.

"I didn't mean to...I'm 'orry I'm sorry." Sam chanted, nearly sobbing the words out.

"Sammy?" Dean whispered loudly as he pulled out his lock picks and got to work on the cell door. But Sam didn't acknowledge him.

* * *

Sam was staring at his brother, sitting cross-legged in front of him.

"You know you deserve this. You know that, don't you?" Dean asked.

Sam swallowed, at a loss of words, the sting of his brother's words worse than any physical injury he was bearing.

"You opened the gate to hell, you let Lucifer out, Sammy. You drank demon blood. You were soulless and almost killed Bobby. You had the chance to close the gates of hell and you failed." Dean shook his head, eyes a mixture of disappointment and disgust. The expression made Sam look away, his heart aching.

"And how many people have you killed? So many people dead because of you. So much blood is on your hands. How could I even call you my brother? I hate you."

"I didn't mean to...I'm 'orry I'm sorry," Sam slurred hopelessly. A moment later, the door to his cell opened and he saw another Dean enter. The one on the floor in front of him promptly vanished.

"This one's fake too," Lucifer remarked, sitting on the opposite side of the cell. Sam cringed at his voice and looked over. The Devil was grooming his nails with a pocket knife. "You know, Dean doesn't care enough to save you."

"I know," Sam whispered as Lucifer cackled and he heard his mom screaming in the distance. Dean approached closer and Sam buried his head in his hands. He couldn't stand to face Dean again. "No please, I can't take it anymore...please..."

The new Dean crouched in front of Sam cautiously. "God, Sammy..." Dean said in a whisper, his voice unsteady with emotion. And it _sounded_ so much like Dean that Sam wanted to believe it really was him but he couldn't be sure anymore.

* * *

"God, Sammy," Dean whispered, horrified, as he took in the condition of his brother. Sam was sweating and shaking violently. He looked like he gotten beat to hell- there were angry purple bruises along his stomach and chest, a stab wound in his shoulder, burns and gashes everywhere. Huge bloody bruises swelled around his wrists and his nails were bloody, like he tried to use them to dig out of something. His back was covered with deep angry gashes that Dean immediately recognized as repeated whip marks. But it was his face that was the most concerning part for Dean. Sam's eyes looked haunted and strained, with too-large pupils. Huge bags hung under his eyes and his flesh seemed pale and looser somehow, like he was starving to death.

Dean's heart was racing. His brother was going to die. How was he even alive this long? Fresh hot anger washed over him. Anger at Crowely of course, but the rage at himself was just as strong. Why had he taken so long to get here? Dean wanted to cry and wanted to kill something at the same time. He pushed back the tears that threaten him. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. He had to stay focused for Sammy.

Dean touched his brother's shoulder and Sam shrinked away, fearful. "Sammy, it's just me, man," Dean said softly, trying to reassure his brother but the effect was lost on him. When Sam couldn't move back any further, pressed against the wall, Dean took the opportunity to grab Sam's face. Sam's skin was cold and clammy, and the eyes that gazed at Dean were glazed and unfocused. "What have they done to you, Sammy?" Dean asked more to himself, since he was sure his brother wasn't in any condition to respond.

Suddenly, Sam pulled his head away and urgently spoke up. "I don't know how she's here...gotta get her out...maybe never really dead at all."

"Sam, what are you talking about?" Dean asked, grabbing Sam's face again so that Sam would hold eye contact. Was there some innocent woman in this prison that they had to save?

"Mom, never dead….Devil was gone…I got away from him…"

Dean felt a shiver run down his spine. This was way worse than he thought it was. He had to get Sam out of here and he had to do it fast.

"Okay, listen to me, man, I'm going to get you out of here. Okay, Sammy?" Dean really needed his brother to focus so he could get them the hell out of here. But his words were again lost on his brother, Sam looking strangely into the distance. "Are you with me? Sammy?!" Dean snapped his fingers in front of his brother's face but received no response.

"Okay, you are definitely not with me," Dean grabbed Sam gently by the arms to pull him to his feet.

Sam hissed at the sudden movement, waivered and then started to sink back toward the ground. "Hey, no! Stay with me!" Dean demanded as he pulled Sam's arm over his shoulder. Sam cried out again from the harsher movement that caused fresh blood to seep from several wounds. "Sorry, Sammy, but I have to get you out of here." Sam gained some footing, but barely. Dean held the majority of his weight.

"Alright, you ready to get the hell out of here little bro?" Dean asked more to himself. His brother looked like he was struggling to stay conscious. Dean began moving as quickly as possible to escape the prison.


	2. Chapter 2

Kevin was on the verge of calling Garth per Dean's instructions, the hunters were taking way too long, when he saw Dean moving quickly toward him in the darkness, half dragging and half carrying his brother.

Kevin jumped out of the car and ran toward them but halted in shock when he got a good look at Sam. The hunter looked horrible. Sam was covered in filth and blood, _so _much blood, and Kevin couldn't even begin to guess what types of injuries he had endured. Sam looked semi-conscious and when Kevin got closer he could hear the hunter quietly mumbling nonsense to himself.

"Did you want to take a picture?" Dean huffed angrily as he neared the door of the Impala, sweat covering his face from hauling his brother the long distance.

"Is- is he okay?" Kevin asked, unsure of what he should do.

"Yea, he's about to run a freaking marathon." Dean snapped as he stopped in front of the Impala. "Get the back door."

Kevin quickly complied and watched as Dean helped Sam into the car.

"Hurry up and get her started!" Dean called to Kevin as he settled in the back seat with Sam. "We gotta get out of here fast."

Kevin rushed back into the car and did as Dean commanded and sped away from the demon infested warehouse as fast as he could.

Kevin glanced in the rearview mirror. Dean was holding Sam's head in his lap, talking soothingly to his brother and gently running a hand through his hair.

"I'm going to get you all fixed up as soon as we get to the Batcave, little bro. You are going to be just fine."

"Yellow-Eyes," Sam said abruptly, eyes darting frantically around the car. "Still demon blood in me. Still in me," Sam nearly sobbed. Kevin had never heard Sam sound so…so tormented.

Sam's breathing became rapid and he struggled uselessly against his brother. Dean held him firmly and continued to gently stroke his hair. "It's okay, Sammy. Just try and take a deep breath for me, okay?"

Kevin focused back on the road, feeling like he was intruding on the privacy of the brothers.

"How much farther?" Dean asked Kevin in a strained voice.

"Um…maybe like three hours?" Kevin offered anxiously, knowing Dean wouldn't like the answer.

"Make it one."

"Gottcha," Kevin mumbled as he pushed the gas pedal down harder. "Dean…" Kevin asked tentatively, afraid he might anger an already very emotional Winchester. "What's wrong with him? I mean, other than the injuries?"

"I heard Crowley say something about a potion," Dean continued to run a hand gently through his little brother's hair, and Sam finally settled. Even though his eyes had closed, Sam's breathing was still labored and he shook violently. Dean carefully readjusted his jacket he put around his brother and appeared to forget about any conversation he was having with Kevin. "That's right, just relax, Sammy. You're okay."

"Potion….?" Kevin inquired.

"Yea" Dean said quietly.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm hoping it will wear off, most potions do."

"So, you think this was all about revenge?"

"Yes," Dean said and then in a low growl that actually scared Kevin, "Crowley's is going down for this."

Kevin had no doubt that was true.

* * *

The Impala came to a screeching halt in front of their new home, the Batcave. Kevin jumped out and held the car door open as Dean carefully pulled out his brother. The last half hour in the car, Sam's mutterings had stopped and he traded semi-consciousness for a fitful slumber. Dean again held the majority of Sam's weight as he moved him inside.

Dean headed for his own room and called to Kevin. "Grab the med pack, IV, everything."

Kevin nodded and promptly disappeared, and Dean was sincerely relieved to have Kevin around to help.

Dean got Sam to Dean's room, and sat his brother carefully on the floor. He rushed over to the bathroom and started the hot shower.

"Okay, I'm going to have to give you a shower, bro. It's rubber ducky time." Sam didn't respond, his eyes again looking too far away.

Dean gently lifted his brother to his feet and moved over to the shower. With little help from Sam, Dean managed to get Sam's clothes off and helped him step into the shower.

Sam immediately cried out as the water made contact with his infected injuries. "Sorry, Sammy, you have to do this." Dean held his brother firmly in place until the worst of the pain seemed to fade. Instead of standing, Sam slowly sunk to the floor of the shower and leaned his head against the tiled wall.

"Okay, that works," Dean grumbled, not bothering to have his brother stand the whole time he cleaned out his wounds.

Dean crouched next to the tub and very delicately washed the dirt and dried blood off his brother, paying special attention to his whip wounds and his stabbed shoulder. Sam tried to move away and groaned in pain at the lightest of touches, but Dean held him firmly in place.

Once dried and semi-dressed, Dean led his brother back over to the bed and sat him down.

"How is he doing?" Kevin emerged from the doorway holding all the supplies Dean had asked for.

"Not well," Dean mumbled as he quickly inserted the IV and started rummaging through the med kid to find bandages.

Sam, who seemed to be struggling with semi-consciousness, suddenly ripped out the IV and started to move back on the bed and away from Dean.

"I can't…I can't…I can't…I can't…" He started chanting, looking with horrified eyes at Dean and Kevin.

"Hey Sam, it's just us," Dean said gently. He reached for Sam and Sam immediately retreated further to the corner of the bed, looking more scared than Dean had ever seen him.

"Grab a strong sedative," Dean said to Kevin without looking away from his brother. "He is still hallucinating pretty bad and I need to take care of those wounds which will involve stitches."

After what felt like a decade but was surly only minutes, Kevin came back with a sedative syringe. Sam now had his head in his hands and his knees drawn close to his chest, and he was muttering something Dean couldn't hear.

Dean started to slowly move toward his brother. Sam felt the shift immediately and snapped his head up. When his eyes caught sight of the syringe, Sam's eyes widened in pure horror. "No! No!" Sam nearly sobbed as he fell off the bed and started backing toward the wall.

"Kevin, grab him!" Dean shouted.

As Kevin went to grab Sam, Dean also moved quickly. Kevin pinned down Sam's feet while Dean held Sam's upper torso firmly. Sam fought, but in Sam's weakened state, the two were able to hold Sam down easily. "Noooo!" Sam continued to struggle feebly as Dean emptied the needle in Sam's arm. "No…please," Sam's body started to lax and his eyelids were falling, though he struggled to keep eye contact with Dean.

"It's okay, Sammy. Everything is going to be okay," Dean said, repeating the mantra endlessly as he stroked Sam's hair. Sam finally went under and Dean and Kevin lifted him back to the bed.

Dean silently watched his unconscious brother, again suddenly overwhelmed with fury and despair. But he focused on pushing his emotions back. He had to keep it together for Sam.

Dean worked for three hours to properly bandage all of Sam's wounds. Kevin stood nervously nearby, assisting Dean when he could. After they were finished and reinserted the IV, Sam seemed to regain some of his color. Dean sat next to Sam on the bed, keeping a close eye on his vitals and occasionally running a soothing hand through Sam's hair when he seemed to be on the verge of a nightmare. Dean's mind drifted. He fantasized about the countless horrible ways he could kill Crowley. Mostly, however, he felt the crushing weight of guilt. _How could I let this happen to my little brother? Why wasn't I fast enough?_ _I should have known Crowley was planning something. _All his thoughts lead to more frustration and guilt. He waited anxiously for Sam to wake.

* * *

Sam awoke abruptly from a bad dream he couldn't remember. He tried to sit up. Sharp pain erupted throughout every inch of his body and Sam gasped for breath as he immediately laid back down. He tried to make sense of everything. _Where am I?_ He struggled to put the pieces together. He remembered pain, horrible pain. His mother screaming, Lucifer talking to him, Dean telling him how worthless he was, Jess, the Yellow-Eyed Demon, among other things. _Was any of that real? _Sam felt a thick cloud of confusion settle on his already muddled brain. There was a potion, and there was Crowley.

_Causes horrible hallucinations..Leads to insanity eventually._ Crowley's words drifted to him.

Sam gently kicked off his sheets and looked at his carefully wrapped injuries. He tried to collect his thoughts but his memories were jumbled, like a jigsaw puzzle where none of the pieces fit. Every time he tried to grab a piece it fizzled away and fell apart. Sam started to panic, his breathing becoming more labored. Nothing made sense. He couldn't remember…he couldn't _think_!

He was sure he was still in danger, that this was all a hallucination about to fade again. He had to find a way out. He frantically yanked out the IV and forced his legs over the side of the bed. He cried out as pain exploded throughout his body but still tried to stand, knocking over and shattering a water glass as he grabbed the bedside counter for support.

Dean had suddenly burst through the door. "Sammy!" The relief in Dean's face from seeing his brother awake quickly drained at Dean absorbed the situation. "Hey, Sammy, what are you doing out of bed?" Dean moved closer, cautiously, his eyes locking with his brother's.

"Stop!" Sam shouted as he backed away from Dean the best he could. _Why was Dean here? How could he say those things and still be here?_ "I don't understand. What's happening?" Sam's voice shook, the fear and apprehension overwhelming him.

"Sammy…" Dean said gently. "It's that potion…it's not totally worn off yet…" Dean moved closer and Sam backed away.

"Stay away!" Sam shouted again. He felt like he was suffocating, the room closing in around him. "Why are you here? You said you hated me…"

_And how many people have you killed? So many people dead because of you. So much blood is on your hands. How could I even call you my brother? I hate you."_

"Sammy, listen to me, man. I never said that. Crowley really messed you up, okay?" Dean was still moving slowly toward Sam with his palms open, as if to show Sam he wasn't going to hurt him. "Just put the glass down, okay?"

_Glass?_ Sam looked down and realized he was clutching a piece of the broken water glass in his hand like a dagger, blood oozing from between his clenched fingers. _When did I pick this up?_ When he looked up, Dean was too close. Sam panicked and blindly swung the glass dagger toward Dean. Dean easily sidestepped Sam's attack and twisted Sam's arm behind his back while pulling him to the ground. Sam fell to his knees and lost the grip on the jagged glass.

"Nooo!" Sam sobbed, finally giving up the fight. Dean crouched in front of him now, hands on either of Sam's shoulders. Dean was saying something but Sam couldn't concentrate. Sam was suddenly overwhelmed by exhaustion, the fear and pain too much to handle. He felt he couldn't survive another second of the confusion, of the agonizing pain all over his body. Why couldn't Crowley just let him die already?

He started to cry uncontrollably, the storm of his emotions too much to contain any longer. Dean was now holding him tightly, Sam's head pressed against his brother's chest as his cried. Dean's hand was rubbing circles around his back, saying something over and over again. Sam focused on the words. "You're safe now, Sammy, you're safe. I've gotcha. You're safe." Sam felt a prick in his arm and a warm liquid push through his veins. He felt his body grow heavy and then he was greeted with darkness.

* * *

Dean carefully rested the sedated Sam back in bed, reinserted the IV and wrapped the bleeding hand. Dean then sat on the bed, trying to collect himself.

He ran a hand over his face and rubbed a lone tear away. He had never seen his brother so scared, so hurt. After Dean got Sam down and Kevin gave him the sedative, Kevin backed off to give them privacy, and Dean was grateful. The sedative was necessary in Dean's eyes to keep Sam from injuring himself any further and to help him get some rest. Kevin researched the potion and they found it would ware off soon. Until then, Dean could only wait.

He laid gently on the bed with Sam, and lightly raked a hand through the younger brother's hair. He stayed next to his brother for hours until exhaustion started to lure him to sleep. _He'll be okay as long as I'm here, _was Dean's last thought as he drifted to sleep.

* * *

Sam woke abruptly from a dream, again not remembering the contents. He felt fresh panic and pain. _Where am I?_ Sam sighed in relief when he recognized the room as Dean's room. He looked down to see he was carefully bandaged, and next to him Dean lay asleep. Sam's mind felt muddled, his thinking slow, but he recognized Dean as the_ real _Dean and not a hallucination. He moved closer to Dean, and rested his head on his brother's chest, inhaling the smell of cologne and leather. Tears of relief spilled from the corner of his eyes as he took a deep and shuttering breath. He had never been happier to see his brother.

"Sam…" Dean muttered as he woke from his brother's movement. His emerald eyes studied his brother intensely and his callused thumb gently rubbed away a tear from Sam's cheek. "How are you feeling?" His voice sounded unsure, suspecting Sam might still be struggling with reality.

"Not crazy anymore…I don't think…" Sam murmured tiredly, already starting to slip back into sleep.

"Here, let me grab you some water," Dean said as he started to rise to move off the bed.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, Sammy?"

"Can you just…?"

Dean hesitated, and then understood. "Yeah, Sammy." Dean settled back in the bed and readjusted so Sam's head lay comfortably on Dean's chest.

Sam moved as close as possible to Dean, relaxing to the rise and fall of his brother's chest. Dean rhythmically ran a hand through Sam's hair and with every touch Sam could feel his mind calming. Sam drifted to sleep listening to his brother's voice.

"You're safe now, Sammy. I gottacha. You're safe..."

END


End file.
